Man who fled Iraq twice now teaching Coventry refugees after passing GCSEs in months 
Last Update: 2022-03-19 00:00:00- Source: Iraq News

A Coventry man who fled Iraq twice is now teaching refugees after passing his functional skills GCSEs in a matter of months. Abdal Ali first fled Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in 1996, but returned in 2008 to help rebuild his country.

However, government volatility forced him to flee again in 2014 with his wife and five-year-old son. Now an education officer with Coventry City Council's migration team, the streets of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq are a distant memory from Mr Ali's new life here.

Born and raised in Kurdistan, Iraq’s Northern region, 52-year old Mr Ali is educated to degree level with a BA in Physics from the AlMustansiryah University, Baghdad. He can also speak fluent Arabic, Dutch and English.

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But despite this, he faced the disconnect that so many refugees and migrants face when coming to the country, when their qualifications are not recognised.

Yet he persevered, and passed his Maths and English GCSE in a matter of months.

"No one ever told me I had to do functional skills, I tried to do an apprenticeship, but I was told I needed functional skills, they told me it is a condition, like a GCSE, they gave me an address of a centre here in Birmingham that I can go to and apply for a course, I did that, in one month I got my Maths GCSE, in two months I finished the English, it was amazing! A very good time!

"After that I found this job with Coventry City Council" he told CoventryLive.

On his role as education officer at the council, he said: "It is very important because there are so many skilled people they need other people like me to help support them to get integrated into the community, learn the language, find jobs here in the future.

"I am a former refugee and I know the bias, and what they are struggling from, the culture shock, language, and they need to know their culture and many other things about the UK and the system in the UK and I am trying to support them with that."

When Mr Ali was living in Europe after fleeing Iraq the first time, he decided to return to his home country in 2008, where he me his now wife, Nisreen, in 2010.

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Abdal Ali and his family

In 2013, they welcomed their son, Bwer.

Describing the anguish he faced in deciding to flee twice, he said: "I fled in 1996 and went to Europe to the Netherlands that was because of the regime of Saddam Hussein I had to escape, I was in Netherlands for about 12 years, I wanted to go back and help my country, support the people there, to contribute to rebuilding the country again."

"When I went back in 2008 I tried to work in the education sector as a teacher but unfortunately the system made it difficult to share the opinions and experiences I got from Europe."

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Abdal Ali in his role as a Share my Language Co-ordinator wth Coventry City Council. He helps teach new refugees and asylum seekers as well as helping them integrate and search for jobs

Mr Ali spent several years working for various international organisations supporting internally displaced nationals such as the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children International, Mercy Corps and ACTED.

But as the situation in Iraq became more volatile, and determined to provide a happy and stable life for his family, Mr Ali uprooted his family here to the UK in 2018.

Originally settling in London, Mr Ali worked as a supply teacher at various schools on a zero-hour contract.

However his situation in London becoming untenable on the zero hour contract, and he was travelling every weekend to Birmingham where his wife and son were staying with family.

In his role at the council, he now helps others to unlock their potential: "“If new arrivals are given a helping hand, they can unlock their potential. Everyone who leaves their country, does not do so lightly, there is always a reason behind it - and it is often a horrible reason, such as fleeing persecution" he said.

Would he ever return to Iraq? "That is my country, I will never forget it, my childhood, my friends, they are all there, I hope things get better there, now regarding the corruption.

"If things get better and I can contribute to my country I would do it with love, but here I am in Coventry supporting people in need, who deserve support."

Praising the strength of Mr Ali and his family, deputy leader for Coventry City Council, councillor Abdul Salam Khan, said: "To leave behind everyone and everything you know is incredibly difficult.

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"The strength and bravery of the Ali family in such difficult and life-threatening circumstances is nothing short of heroic.

“To face such danger and continue to support and educate themselves and others so that they can lead peaceful and prosperous lives is what makes the heroism of the Ali family so remarkable.

"Abdal’s addition to the Migration team provides a unique understanding and empathy to the families and individuals that the team supports, allowing us as a council to better tailor our support to those in need of it."

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Read the Full Text From: Iraq News